Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Hi-Tech Studio: Monolights
Having tools that let you take your studio on the road can open the door to more and better-paying jobs
Most studio photographers choose either a power pack and flash head system or continuous lights (hot lights) for the vast majority of their work. Monolights have been largely relegated to the sidelines due to their reputation as being limited in usefulness. In a marketplace where studio space is being abandoned as too expensive and more photographers are being asked to do location shoots in a limited time and with limited notice, monolights are tools that might prove to be your best options.
The main advantages to using monolights are their portability and relatively low cost. Everything in photography is a trade-off, though. In the case of monolights, the advantages are balanced by relatively low power. The technology is constantly changing, however, and power issues are becoming less pronounced.
If you've never looked into monolights as being a viable addition to your shooting kit, they're definitely worth considering. Not much larger than a camera speedlight, a full collection of monolights can be packed into a single case and easily transported to a location shoot. They're quick to set up and you can attach just about any kind of modifier to a head. Even if you need more power for your main light, your monolight system comes in handy for filling other areas, and since monolights can run off a small power cord instead of bulky strobe pack cables, you can work them into some awkward places where heavier cables aren't an option (also, some monolights can be battery-powered for the ultimate in going cordless).
A monolight has all of the same basic components as any other strobe head. Like most strobes, they're also reliable and highly adjustable. Dials and switches allow you to adjust as finely as 1/10th stop. One of the things that distinguishes any strobe system is its consistency over a shoot and over the unit's lifetime. You'll pay more for consistency, but it's probably worth it. When you're on location and you have limited time, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your strobes are wavering in their output.
Related to reliability is the availability of securing backup equipment if you need it. Since one of the main advantages of a monolight system is its ease of transport, you'll want to make sure you can get parts or rent if you're in a city with which you're not familiar. Of course, as long as you can rent a monolight, you can probably make due, even if it's not the same brand you own, but it's certainly more convenient when you're familiar with the gear you rent. When you're shopping for your monolights, talk to your dealer about the availability issue. Reputable dealers and salespeople have these answers.
A word about power measurement. Contrary to popular opinion, watt-seconds isn't a unit of illuminated output. Rather, it's a unit of electrical power. Two lights set at the same number of watt-seconds may yield very different amounts of light. Factors like the flash tube, the cable, the nature of the capacitor, etc., all come into play. Manufacturers are always looking to make their units more efficient, so many newer models yield more light per watt-second than older models.
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